• • l -, The Macintosli Advisor Cynthia Harriman and Bencion Calica HAYDEN BOOKS A Division of Howard W. Sams & Company 4300 West 62nd Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46268 USA © 1986 by Hayden Books A Division of Howard W. Sams & Co. FIRST EDITION SECOND PRINTING-1987 All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. International Standard Book Number: 0-8104-6569-8 Acquisitions Editor: Bill Grout Editor: Lori WiUiams Cover Design: Jim Bernard Cover Photo: Lou Odor Composition: Elizabeth Typesetting Company Printed in the United States of America Trademark Acknowledgments Macintosh is a trademark of Mcintosh Laboratory, Inc., Licensed to Apple Computer, Inc. The names of all other computer hardware and software included herein are registered trademarks of their makers. Preface True confessions: I got into computers for the money. When my student loans came due, I did what any red blooded American boy would do-l panicked, shaved my beard, left all my morality behind, and went to look for a Real Job. Much as Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate was verbally pelted with advice to get into plastics, I was told by evecyone I met to get into computers:' So I got a job in a computer store II (just until the loans were paid off, mind you). I was overwhelmed. 11I'm never going to learn all this stuff. There are thousands of programs and they're all dif ferent, and I'd rather go to the beach anyway:' But after much dedicated effort, I learned a few programs and started to be able to answer people's questions. I even started to do some of my own work on the computer. Quotes that used to take me an entire half hour to do by hand, I could now do in ten minutes--plus an extra forty-five minutes to load the pro gram, find my files, hook up the missing cable, and make the printer work. With access to a whole store of computers, I found myself steadily gravitating toward the Macintosh. Somehow; the work seemed less bothersome on the Mac, but I couldn't put my fmger on why. Then one day a client said something that set off some serious bells in my head. He told me he'd been working on one of those "produce or walk" projects for the president of his company, and in six days and nights of work with the Macintosh} he hadn't thought of the computer once. That was it-the reason the Mac made more sense was that it let me concentrate on the work at hand} not on the computer. With other computers} my focus was split between my work and the operation of the machine; with the proper tooL all my attention stayed with my work. Helping normal} non-computer people learn to use this type of tool could make a positive difference in the world~ and could be interest ing and rewarding work even after all the student loans were paid off. The Macintosh Advisor developed from this philosophy. It contains the techniques I've found most helpful in making the Macintosh the most efficent and powerful tool possible. Read through it~ and pick and choose the information that enhances your work~ as you explore computers as tools for the mind. Ben Calica Boston~ Massachusetts The Macintosh Advisor grew out of our personal experi ence~ as Ben} the dedicated Mac enthusiast~ worked to convince me that the Macintosh was a serious and powerful computer. An experienced user of other computers} I'd grown frustrated with the Macintosh soon after I bought it in early 1984. Manuals explained how but not why, and left out the most basic information. (I took my Mac back to the dealer the first time I got the bomb; nowhere} in any book~ could I find a guide to error messages.) I cursed what I called the Mac's Fathe~Knows-Best operating system~ as it arbitrarily spat disks out at me. I felt constrained by its meager 128K of memory and single disk drive. No power. No options. Just a lot ofhandholding that I} as an experienced computer owner, didn't want any longer. Much as I loved the Mac's initial ease of use} when I was ready to take the training wheels off, no one could tell me how. Every book on the market was either aimed at beginners~ or targeted at those with a real technical bent. I met Ben just at this time. He countered each of my frustrations with quick pointers, then took the time to explain what was really happening behind the scenes. Before long, the depth and power of the Macintosh became apparent: there was a lot to the Macintosh, beyond the obvious. The Macintosh became my machine of choice, and the idea for The Macintosh Advisor was born. Ben thought up the words, I put them in the logical order and added a few of my own, and here it is. Cynthia Wills Harriman Portsmouth, New Hampshire Acknowledgments We'd like to thank an army of friends and colleagues who helped make this book happen. First and foremost, we recognize Rob Hafer, Becky Waring, and Jack Hodgson, all of The Boston Computer Society. These good friends were with The Macintosh Advisor in all its stages, first encouraging the initial idea, then answering the phone at all hours as we checked technical details, and finally, mercilessly reviewing and editing the first draft. ·we'd also like to thank the following people from Apple: Chris Espinosa and Martha Steffen on the West Coast, for keeping us up to date on Apple's new developments; on the East Coast, Beth Marshdoyle and Scott Newcome for supply ing us with equipment. Our editor Bill Grout deserves special thanks too, for acting as our advocate at Hayden with the highest professionalism and patience. Last but certainly not least, personal thanks go to those who provided the emotional support that kept us going. Ben acknowledges "the local Apple trainers (Beth, Lisa, and Peter) who hooked me on the Mac when it first came out. My mom, who believed in me through the whole process (Hi, Mom). Eric Larson, in the spirit of A.O.P. Productions, and George Voltz, who drove me all over New Hampshire. And, most important, Ski, who resisted all impulses to physically damage my computers for so long:' Cindy's special thanks go to her husband, Lew; and children, Libby and Sam, for their deep love and understanding. Introduction It has been well-publicized that the Macintosh includes a programmer's toolbox, full of building blocks of code that professionals can use to cut down on the effort needed to create with the Mac. Less well-known is the fact that the Macintosh also supports a wide range of readily available options for non-technical users who are interested in stream lining their creative work on the machine. Some of these time-savers are built into the Mac's system software, others are available through small utility programs, and still other improvements are related to hardware options. For each of these choices, The Macintosh Advisor offers: • general non-technical explanations of how the program, product, or procedure works • specific information on typical examples and procedures • a checklist of points to consider in making your own evaluations At first, the specific examples may interest you the most. In the long run, though, the background information and checklists will prove immensely useful, as today's specifics are nudged aside by tomorrow's new products and you need to make your own educated choices. We have made certain assumptions in writing The Macin tosh Advisor. First, we assume you're the type who uses the computer as a productive tool, not a hobbyist or hacker who delights in clever tricks for their own sake. Every technique we describe offers immediate payback in added efficiency. Second, our specific examples assume you're using a Macin tosh with at least 512K of memory and two disk drives: it's next to impossible to be productive with less. Finally-and most important-we've geared this book to the experienced user. We assume you already know common Macintosh terms like "shift-click," "drag," and "pull-down," and so will spare you another explanation of these basics. The Macintosh Advisor is not meant to be your first computer book! The Macintosh Advisor should be kept next to your Macintosh as a reference. 1\.tm to it when you feel like experimenting, when you want to know why something's happening onscreen} or when you want to solve a problem. With this approach in mind the chapters are designed to be 1 read in almost any order, although we do highly recommend that you start with Chapter 1 before you skip around. Our goal for this book is to give you long-term knowledge rather than a lot of simple tips and tricks. We hope that as new techniques, programs, and peripherals reach the mar ket} you '11 be able to apply the information from The Macin tosh Advisor to the task of understanding, evaluating, and implementing Macintosh options. Contents Chapter 1 The Finder: Macintosh's Operating System 1 What8 an Operating System? 2 1be Dominant Disk 3 Controlling Startup and Shutdown 8 Customizing and Automating Startup 8 Automating Shutdown Procedures 14 A Reference Guide to Finder Procedures 16 Chapter 2 Speeding Applications 29 How Programs Use Memory 30 RAM Disks 31 RAM Disk 'Iricks and RJinters 35 Cache Systems 36 Specific Examples of Cache Systems 39 Switcher 4.2 '1\vo Switcher Examples 49 Tips for Switcher 52 Chapter 3 Desk Accessories and FKeys 57 Desk Accessories 57 Program Add-ons 60 Instant References 67 System Utilities 75 Installing Your Own Desk Accessories 84 Sampling DAs 90 Function Keys 90